The Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 Board of Education was named one of 42 in the state to earn the Illinois Association of School Boards’ 2025 School Board Governance Recognition.
The two-year award recognizes boards that have actively pursued full development and participation. That includes development of the district’s board member atlas, a tool that is used to ascertain how the body oversees the district. The 53-page document discusses fiscal stewardship, including financial benchmarking compared with peer districts, debt assurance guidelines and a framework for funding major capital projects.
According to board president Audrey Williams-Lee, the atlas is meant to be a useful guide for new and current members. It is always on the body’s meeting agenda and “we update it monthly based on what’s happening.”
Williams-Lee, who has been board president since May, succeeding long-time president Tom Cofsky, said she serves on multiple nonprofit boards, so seeing how those entities operate has informed her work for District 200.
“I feel appreciative and also very much affirmed,” Williams-Lee said of the award. “I think we have a very good board. The affirmation makes me feel we are on the right track and we’re not resting on our laurels but are always working to get better. I really feel there is a good level of respect across our board members.”
District 200 Superintendent Dr. Greg Johnson has a front-row seat for board workings, and said it has “been very deliberate about focusing on engaging the community and monitoring student achievement and district finances.
“The board has focused intently on ensuring that it’s operating as effectively and transparently as possible on behalf of not just the school but the community as a whole,” Johnson said. “I think the care with which the members have approached developing their board goals really reflects this.”